[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 95 (Wednesday, May 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28902-28903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-11840]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541)

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law 95-541.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a 
notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated 
under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published 
regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act at Title 45 Part 670 
of the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of 
permit applications received.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments, 
or views with respect to this permit application by June 15, 2012. This 
application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit 
Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755, 
Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.

[[Page 28903]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Polly A. Penhale at the above address 
or (703) 292-7420.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed 
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541), as amended 
by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996, has 
developed regulations for the establishment of a permit system for 
various activities in Antarctica and designation of certain animals and 
certain geographic areas requiring special protection. The regulations 
establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic Specially 
Protected Areas.
    The applications received are as follows:

Permit Application: 2013-004

    1. Applicant: Paul J. Ponganis, Center for Marine Biotechnology and 
Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 9500 Gilman Drive, 
Mail Code 0204, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 
92093-0204.

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPA's). The applicant 
plans to conduct aerial census surveys of the Emperor penguin colonies 
at Cape Crozier (ASPA 124), Beaufort Island (ASPA 
105), Cape Colbeck, Franklin Island, Cape Washington, and Cape 
Roget. The purpose of the census surveys is to evaluate the status of 
the Ross Sea population because a) annual chick counts at Coulman 
Island, the largest emperor colony in the world, have declined by 50% 
in 2010 and 2011, b) the Beaufort Island colony produced no chicks in 
2011 probably due to the lack of sea ice, and c) the Cape Colbeck 
colony in 2011 appears to have doubled in size in 2011 (>20,000 
adults). These changes raise questions as to a possible decline in the 
Ross Sea population and/or a shift in the distribution of breeding 
adults to Cape Colbeck. Such changes are potentially secondary to dates 
of sea ice formation, stability of sea ice, and/or availability of 
prey.

Location

    Cape Crozier (ASPA 124), Beaufort Island (ASPA 
105), Cape Colbeck, Franklin Island, Cape Washington, and Cape 
Roget.

Dates

    October 1, 2012 to December 30, 2012.

Nadene G. Kennedy,
Permit Officer, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2012-11840 Filed 5-15-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P